


Double Trouble

by Steves-On-A-Plane (PrincessTriSarahTops)



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Daughter!OCs, M/M, Parent Trap AU, dad!Bucky Barnes, dad!Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:07:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25235920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessTriSarahTops/pseuds/Steves-On-A-Plane
Summary: Betsy Rogers is about to be dropped off at a summer camp she doesn’t want to go to. She’d much rather spend the summer with her father and his friends moving into their new place. Ellie Barnes has been attending Camp Sunshine every summer since she was seven. This summer she’s going to finally be a Cabin Leader. But both girl’s lives are about to change when they discover a secret that ties them together forever.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 37
Kudos: 103





	1. One

* * *

__

* * *

_Camp Sunshine._ Thirteen-year-old Elizabeth Sarah Rogers could have gagged as she read the name off the swinging wooden sign their car passed under. The sign was hung crookedly by a pair of chains that each connected to a large beam. Camp Sunshine sounded like exactly the sort of place Steve Rogers would send his only daughter. Betsy continued to stare out the window, looking anywhere but at him. She imagined it was the type of camp that didn’t allow junk food or for the campers to be up past seven. The kind of camp that gave out patches for making popsicle stick houses or some other such nonsense.

“Why the long face, Bets?” Her father asked. He maneuvered the car into a turn and waited for her to respond, even though he already knew the answer.

“I don’t want to be here.” She mumbled to the window.

“I know, Chickadee.” He sighed, digging out an old nickname he only used when he was really trying to win his daughter over. “But we’ve been over this. You’re too big to fit in my luggage.” He joked, trying to get a laugh out of her. Betsy couldn’t help but smirk. Steve Rogers was the _king_ of dad jokes.

“Don’t think I can’t see that smirk.” He commented, still driving down the winding camp road.” Listen, Bets I know you don’t want to go to camp, but I’ve gotta help Tony get the new compound set up and you need to be around kids your own age more.”

“I don’t like kids my own age!” She pouted. “I want to hang out with you and Tony and Natasha!”

“Well, maybe you just haven’t found the right ones yet.” He suggested.

“Well _you_ should hang out with people _your_ age.” She thought it was a very good comeback considering her dad was over ninety years old.

“Ha ha,” The captain feigned a laugh. “That’s different and you know it. Clint said this camp is nice. It’s where he usually sends Lila every summer.”

“Yeah, even the Bartons are going on a _family_ vacation this summer.” Betsy complained. Steve sighed again.

“It’s only four weeks, Bets.” He added before driving the rest of the way in silence. The car didn’t go much further before stopping just outside of the main cabin. All around the manicured lawn of the main cabin girls were milling about in small groups of two to four. Some eagerly waved good-bye to their parents while others, like Betsy, looked as if they didn’t want to be there.

“Well, Chicakdee, this is where we say good-bye.” Steve told his daughter regrettably. She finally looked over at him and said the snarky line she’d been saving up in her mind for a full week.

“You mean this is where you ditch me for four weeks.” She huffed before opening the car door on her side. Betsy walked to the back of the car and waited for her dad to pop the trunk. When he did she reached in and grabbed her bags. She slung a duffle bag over one shoulder and her backpack over the other before slamming the trunk down. She then tapped on the trunk twice, so he knew she’d gotten everything, just like she’d seen the captain do when one of the Avengers dropped him off at home.

Betsy walked back towards the driver’s side and leaned into the window. She had to stand on the tips of her toes to do it, but she managed to kiss her father on the cheek. She then leaned back and offered him a salute.

“Bye, Captain Dad.” She said, bringing her arm to her side. “Promise you’ll at least write to me?”

“You’re going to summer camp, not to war, Bets.” He laughed. “But I’ll write, I promise. Stay out of trouble alright? I love you!”

“I love you too.” You answered back before he rolled up his window. It was a strange ritual that he insisted on for as long as she could remember. _You should always tell someone you love them when you mean it because you never know when your last chance to say it might be._ He’d told her once and the sentiment always stuck. She waited until his care had turned around and disappeared out of sight before heading inside the main cabin to check in.

“Name dear?” The elderly woman who was checking in campers asked her.

“Betsy or Elizabeth.” She added, realizing her father had probably registered her with her full name. “Elizabeth Rogers.”

“Ah, Rogers.” The woman nodded. She marked something down on the list in front of her. “You’ll be in the Cabin Five. You should find it easily enough. Your Counselor’s name is Ellie. Next!”

“Okay…” Betsy wandered outside back onto the lawn and hoped that she could find her way to cabin five.

“Ellie! El!” Betsy turned to look for Ellie, the girl who was supposed to be her cabin leader, as it seemed someone had spotted her on the lawn somewhere. But while she squinted against the sunlight a girl approached her talking a mile a minute.

“I heard you were a Cabin Leader this year! That’s so amazing! I mean it makes sense, you’ve been coming here for like _ever_ , but what’s with the new look? I mean I’m into it but _hiking boots_? A _denim jacket_? Helllooo? Earth to Ellie!” The girl finally stopped for a breath.

“Sorry were you talking to me?” Betsy pointed at herself. “I’m Betsy Rogers and you are?”

“So so so sorry!” The girl exclaimed. “You look _just_ like this other girl, Ellie. Have you met Ellie before?”

“I, ah, no.” Betsy shook her head. “But I’m looking for her. I’m supposed to be in Cabin Five with her. Do you think you could…”

“Oh Cabin Five!” The girl remarked excitedly, interrupting Betsy. “I can totally show you the way!” The girl grabbed Betsy by the hand and started leading her across the lawn. “I’m Joss by the way. Nice to meet you Betsy. I can’t wait to show you to Ellie! She’s gonna freak!”

Eleanor Roosevelt Barnes was in her cabin unpacking as she waited for her new campers to arrive. This would be her seventh summer at Camp Sunshine. She’d been going every summer since she was a little kid and this year, she was finally a Cabin Leader. She would be responsible for a whole cabin of campers. Sure, it would really only be her friend, Joss, and two other girls their age but she was excited anyway. Ellie put her hands on her hips and surveyed her four pieces of matching luggage.

“Maybe I’ve packed too much this year.” She sighed. She _did_ pack an entire bag of just make-up and hair accessories.

“Ellie!!! Ellie! There’s someone you’ve got to meet!” Eleanor could hear Joss’ shouted from inside the cabin before the thin screen door flew open. “Betsy, this is Ellie.” Eleanor looked away from her luggage and over at the cabin door. The girl standing between her and her best friend nearly took her breath away.

Betsy was dragged across the camp by Joss, a girl who hardly ever seemed to stop talking. When they finally reached Cabin Five, Joss continued to rattle on while forcing Betsy inside. The cabin’s only other occupant at the time was quickly introduced as Ellie.

Ellie was, at least in Betsy’s opinion, way too overdressed for camp. Her dark brown hair was curled into perfect ringlets which had to have taken at least forty-five minutes to set. Her make-up was trendy and colorful. The kind you’d see on an Instagram model with perfect eyeliner wings. She wore a hunter green skirt that stopped just above her knees which perfectly coordinated with the camp counselor polo shirt she was wearing. Even her shoes where a pair of keds in the same hunter green.

Betsy, from Ellie’s perspective, looked like she’d just crawled out of bed and dressed in the dark. Her dark hair had been twisted into some sort of a knot that barely resembled a bun. She wore a denim jacket over a faded red t-shirt. She had on shorts of a different color denim from her jacket and a pair of brown leather hiking boots.

Despite their differences, both girls noticed that they had the same ocean blue eyes and a nose that was broad and pointed upwards. Their hair was nearly the same color except that Betsy’s was streaked with highlights from the sun and Ellie’s had the faintest remnants of bleach on the ends from when she thought balayage would be a good look on her. If they didn’t know any better, they would have said they looked like twins.

“Sorry, what did you say your name was again?” Ellie asked. She smiled wide so that she was showing as many of her perfectly white teeth as possible.

“Uh, Betsy.” She answered quietly. “Like Betsy Ross, my dad kind of has a thing for history.”

“Tell me about it.” Ellie laughed. It was a light laugh, like a bird’s song. It was the same laugh that Betsy had. That’s why her dad had called her Chickadee. He said her laugh sounded like a bird’s song. “My dad’s named after a president. So, he thought it’d be cute to name me after a first lady!” Ellie rolled her eyes. “C’mon in and get settled. We don’t have a lot of time to unpack before dinner starts.”

“Okay, is _no one_ going to talk about the fact that the two of you look exactly the same?” Joss asked. “Like _exactly_ the same?” Betsy and Ellie looked at each other, neither wanted to admit that Joss was right. “I mean El, you’re always saying how you wish you had a sibling! Maybe you and Betsy are related!”

“Not possible.” Ellie shook her head. She took a stack of photos out of one of her suitcases and started pinning them to the cabin wall with thumb tacks. “My Dad doesn’t have any family. Unless you count Bill and Javier and the other guys from the shop. It’s just been me and him for as long as I can remember.”

“It’s the same with me.” Betsy agreed. She tossed her bags on one of the open beds. “My dad told me once that there were only two people he ever loved before me. He lost his first love in a really tragic accident and the second…” Betsy shrugged. “Well, we never really talk about him. It’s too hard for my dad, I think. Instead we kind of surrounded ourselves with a ton of found family.”

“What about your mom?” Ellie asked looking away from her picture collage on the wall.

“I don’t have one.” Betsy replied. She sat down on the bed she’d claimed for herself. “At least not the way that most people do. My Dads had me with a surrogate and when they split up I stayed with my Dad, Steve, because he stayed living in New York. My other dad moved away before I was even a year old. I don’t even know his name.”

“Okay that’s weird.” Ellie admitted. “Because my Dad had me with a surrogate and he used to live in New York but we live in California now. He said he left the guy that he was with because they were just too different. He said he didn’t even take much with him, just me. But there’s this picture of a blonde man taped to his toolbox at work. I always wondered if that was my other dad. Do you know what your other dad looked like?”

“I Saw a picture of him once, in a framed photo on my dad’s dresser, but when he saw me looking at it, he put it away.” Betsy explained.

“Did he look like this?” Ellie riffled through the stack of photos she’d brought with her until she found the one she was looking for. It was a picture of her Dad standing outside of his garage. She’d taken it about two years ago when constructions was completed on the new factory. “Bucky’s Motorcycle Co” was what the new sign that stretched across the whole building read. Standing under the sign, smiling proudly was her dad. James Buchan Barnes. He had the same dark hair as Ellie and the same nose, and even, Betsy noticed as she studied the photo, the same ocean blue eyes.

“That’s him.” Betsy said, not taking her eyes off the photo. “That’s the guy I saw in the picture in my Dad’s room. Wait your dad’s the owner of Bucky’s Motorcycles? That’s so cool! My Dad has one of those, but he never lets me ride it…”

“Betsy! Focus!” Ellie commented impatiently. “Do you have a picture of your dad?”

“Right!” Betsy nodded. She sent aside the photo of Bucky and reached for her backpack. Inside her wallet she pulled out a small photo of her Dad that she’d taken with her instant camera. He’d just come back from a mission and was still wearing most of his Captain America uniform. He held his helmet in one hand, while his other was pressed to his chest. His head was tossed back on laughter. “It’s not the best,” She explained handing the photo over to Ellie. “But it’s the only one I have with me.”

“Wait, your Dad is Captain America?” Ellie asked as she studied the photo Betsy handed her. “My dad told me that my other Dad was in the military. That’s how they met.”

“Wait! Wait! Wait!” Joss gasped reminding the other two girls that she was even there. “If your if Ellie’s Dad looks like your other dad, and Betsy’s Dad looks like your other dad, doesn’t that make you both like, sisters?”


	2. Two

* * *

* * *

“What’s he like, Bucky?” Betsy asked Ellie. The two were sitting on the steps outside of their cabin where Joss and their other bunk mate were sleeping. Betsy was looking down at the photo of Bucky that she still hadn’t given back yet.

“He’s like a normal Dad I guess.” Ellie shrugged. “He owns a Motorcycle company, but you already know that. He spends a lot of time at the shop overseeing everything. He likes to be available when people need him. That important to him. Some how he always manages to make it to my school events. He never forgets to sign permission slips or pack my lunch.”

“My dad’s not like that.” Betsy shook her head. “Don’t get me wrong, I love him. He’s my favorite person in the whole world, but…” She sighed. “It’s like Steve Rogers is one person and Captain America is another and sometimes it’s hard being Captain America’s daughter. Like when we’re in public I literally _always_ have to be on my best behavior. He doesn’t _ever_ let me leave the apartment in sweatpants and…”

“Some days you just want him to be Steve.” Ellie nodded with understanding. “You know, you said Steve never really got over my Dad.”

“Yeah.” Betsy agreed. “Like I’ve never seen him really look at anyone else, besides Peggy I mean. But that’s different.”

“Right of course.” Ellie nodded again. “And you know I’ve never seen Dad really interested in anyone else either. Like sure men, and women, have tried. The delivery driver who brings gasoline to the shop once a month for example. I mean Dad still has a picture of Steve taped to his toolbox. What if there was a way that we could get them together? Like _Together_ together.”

“So you want to set our dads up?” Betsy questioned.

“Sure.” Ellie shrugged. “Why not? Look I can tell that you really want to get to know Dad, and I really want to get to know…Dad…we’re going to have to find a better way to differentiate between them.”

“Well, we do look a lot alike.” Betsy acknowledged, biting her lip. “I bet we could switch places and they’d hardly notice.”

“Switch places?” Ellie laughed. “They’d figure us out immediately! I mean sure we might _look_ a like but Betsy we’re still different people.”

“I know, I know.” Betsy agreed. “But we have a month before we go home right? We could teach each other how to be more like each other. And If we switch places we’ll get a little time together with each other’s Dads. They’ll have to switch us back eventually, so we just have to make sure that by the time we’re ready to switch back we’ve helped them fall back in love with each other.”

“Do you think that could work?” Ellie asked.

“I think we should try.” Betsy told her.

“Can I think about it?” Ellie was uncertain.

“Sure.” Betsy nodded. “But it was your idea to try and get them back together. I think this is the best way to do it. Otherwise what are we supposed to do? Go home at the end of camp and pretend that we never met?”

“Couldn’t we just tell them the truth? That we met at camp and we want to stay in each other’s lives?” Ellie suggested.

“Do you think that will work?” Betsy was skeptical. “I mean they’ve kept us apart for the last thirteen years.”

“No, you’re right.” Ellie sighed. “Okay.” She decided, getting to her feet. “Let’s do it.” She held out a hand to her sister expectantly. Betsy jumped up too. She took the hand that Ellie offered and shook it.

* * *

Starting immediately the next morning Betsy and Ellie began coaching each other on how to become each other. Ellie walked Betsy through her complicated morning routine, including how she got here eyeliner to look just right. Betsy started telling Ellie everything she needed to know about living with the Avengers. For the next week and a half they worked while doing camp activities to help prepare for their big switch.

“I’ve just realized something.” Ellie frowned one afternoon as she and Betsy canoed around the lake together. “My hair is bleached at the ends and yours isn’t.”

“You want to bleach my hair?” Betsy frowned from the back of the canoe.

“No. I think we should cut it. I’ll cut mine too.” Ellie promised. “If we both cut our hair, we can just tell Dads that it was really hot at camp. We won’t cut to too short, just to our shoulders.”

“I guess.” Betsy continued to paddle. “As long as I can still put it up whenever I’m no pretending to be you.”

“Great!” Ellie squealed excitedly. “We can get Joss to help us! Her Mom’s a hairdresser!”

“Now wait just a minute, I said _you_ could cut my hair, not Joss.” Betsy argued. “She’s so jittery she’ll probably cut my hair crooked.”

“Oooh Do you think we should get bangs?” Ellie was obviously not listing to her sister’s objections as she abandoned her paddle on the floor of the canoe and pulled a section of hair forward in front of her face. She twisted the section of hair trying to imagine what she would look like with bangs.

“Absolutely not!” Betsy insisted. “Pick up your paddle and help me. We’ll never make it back in time for lunch if you don’t.”

“Fine.” Ellie rearranged her hair to its normal position before picking up the paddle and helping Betsy canoe.

* * *

“Are you ready for this?” It was the last day of camp. Ellie and Betsy stood inside their cabin. Their bags were packed, and the girls were spending their last minutes together before their big switch.

Betsy had woken early that morning and curled her hair and put make up the way Ellie had shown her. She was wearing a flowy floral dress and impractical open toed sandals that Ellie Assured her were fashionable. Ellie, used to waking early every day lounged in bed most of the morning before running a brush through her hair and putting it up in a Ponytail. She was wearing Betsy’s favorite brown leather hiking boots and her signature denim jacket that she hardly ever took off all summer.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Betsy sighed. “I can’t believe you got all of this here on a plane. Actually, I can’t believe I have to take it all with me on a plane now.”

“I can’t believe you went away to camp for a month and _this_ is all you brought.” Ellie commented holding up Betsy’s duffle bag and backpack. 

“I’m going to miss you, El.” Betsy was the first to say.

“Ohh Bets I’m gonna miss you too! We’ll see each other again soon, I promise. Hug?” Ellie opened her arms to her sister. Betsy complied, pulling Ellie into a tight hug.

“Okay, he’s here.” Betsy told Ellie about Steve. “Last thing left to do,” She held her cellphone out to her sister. Ellie took the phone and swapped it with her own. “You’ll text me when you get home, right?”

“Of course!” Ellie agreed. “And you’ll text me when you land?”

“Absolutely.” Betsy nodded.

“Alright, I’d better go.” Ellie decided. With one last look at her sister, She left the cabin.


	3. Three

* * *

* * *

“Okay.” Betsy wrapped a loose lock of hair around her finger trying to liven the curl up again. She worried that the cross-continental flight may have flattened her curls and that was something that Eleanor Roosevelt Barnes would never had abided. That meant Betsy couldn’t either. She wandered from her terminal following signs to the nearest bathroom.

“Not bad.” She sighed with relief as studied her reflection in the streaky bathroom mirror. Overall, she looked…presentable. Which was the best she could hope for. From what Ellie had said, Bucky wasn’t likely to notice slight untidiness in her appearance anyhow. The man practically lived in coveralls. Betsy wished her dad, Steve, could see her like this. The frilly floral dress, the nearly perfectly curled hair, it’s what his dream daughter looked like. He’d be happy to have Ellie once all of this was over.

As Betsy studied the alternate version of herself in the mirror, she did have a brief moment of panic. What had she been thinking? Talking Ellie into a plan like this? She didn’t belong in California. She didn’t belong in this dress or in this sticky make up. She should have been at home in New York. She should have been unpacking and settling into the compound and having movie nights with Tony or Natasha. A loud noise startled Betsy from her thoughts as her phone began to vibrate along the bathroom counter. It was a text from Ellie.

_Did you land yet?_ Ellie wanted to know.

_Just barely. I’ll call you later._ Betsy texted back. With a final look in the mirror, Betsy took one last deep breath and exhaled heavily. She exited the bathroom and followed the airport signs to the baggage claim for her terminal. She very nearly lost her nerve again when she reached the top of the escalator that led to the baggage claim.

Standing just off to one side of the escalator, with most of Ellie’s luggage gathered around his feet was her father, Bucky. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans, a grey t-shirt, a buffalo checkered flannel shirt and a pair of brown leather hiking boots. Betsy couldn’t help but smile. Even from a distance she could tell they were the same brand of boots she wore. She used her last few remaining seconds before she reached the bottom of the escalator to calm herself. She silently reminded herself that she had to pretend as if she’d known this man her whole life.

Bucky had been watching the escalator intently since he’d gathered his daughter’s luggage. It had been a long month without his daughter, and he’d missed her. He tried not to let it show while she’d been packing four weeks ago, but he always hated it when she went away to camp. Since her first summer away he counted down the days until she’d be back on a small calendar in his office. His little Ellie had always been so independent though. She loved the chance to go off and make new friends. Every summer on the car ride home from the airport she’d tell him all about how she’d spent her time. Usually in between answering text from as many people as she could.

Betsy couldn’t stop herself from bouncing down the last few steps of escalator. She raced over to Bucky and nearly tackled him to the ground. Bucky barley managed to balance their weight with a half-step backwards, but he did catch her and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He held his daughter in a bear hug and Betsy leaned in closely. She inhaled deeply recognizing that he smelled like grease, oil, and old spice.

“Gee did you miss me, Kid?” Bucky laughed.

“More than you’ll ever known.” Betsy vowed into his chest.

“Did you miss me long enough to come with me to the shop for a little bit?” Bucky held Betsy out so that he could look her in the eyes. Her eyes that were so much like his.

“You want me to come to the shop with you?” Betsy tried not to sound too hopeful because she knew Ellie wouldn’t have been, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted to spend as much time with Bucky as possible while she could. Plus, the idea of going to the motorcycle shop sounded awesome. “I guess that would be okay.”

“Yeah?” Bucky tried not to sound too surprised that the conversation had gone his way so quickly.

“Yeah.” Betsy nodded. “C’mon, Pop.” That was the nickname she and Ellie had decided on for Bucky. Steve would remain ‘Dad’ and Bucky would become ‘Pop’ it would just make things easier when they were talking to each other and when they eventually all came together. She gathered as much of the luggage as she could carry. “Where are we parked?”

“Pop, huh?” Bucky asked picking upon the rest of the luggage and leading the way out of the airport. “You haven’t called me that since you were a kid. Like a little kid.”

“Well, it’s very trending right now.” Betsy explained. “Calling your parents ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ is so boring. So alternative names are _in_. A girl at camp was telling me about it. I mean I suppose I could always call you Bucky or James.”

“Pop is good, Kiddo.” Bucky insisted. “C’mon, car’s this way.”

* * *

Ellie left the cabin with just Betsy’s Duffle bag slung over one shoulder and her backpack on the other. She couldn’t believe she was finally going to meet her other Dad. After all this time wondering who he might be or what he might be like, He’d been right in front of her all these years as Captain America. Once upon a time Ellie had a Captain America poster tacked to her ceiling back home, but her Pop had told it had fallen down and ripped. It was promptly replaced by one for the movie _Titanic_ and she hadn’t thought twice about it.

“Don’t think of him as your childhood hero.” Ellie whispered to herself as she walked through the camp, “Think of him as your Dad who you’ve known forever, because that’s who he is to Betsy.”

As Ellie traced her way between cabins and across the open field, she scanned the road for a vehicle that looked like Betsy had described. She felt naked without her make-up. Not because she needed it to feel cute or pretty, but because it made her feel like herself. She so desperately wanted to meet her dad as herself. Ellie neared the main cabin where the Camp Director was chatting with parents and campers. Her eyes searched the road one more time and then she saw him.

Steve Rogers was leaning against the side of an inconspicuous black Jeep Cherokee. He was wearing jeans, a white t-shirt and a brown leather jacket. A blue baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses were meant to conceal his identity from the other campers, but it was a terrible disguise. Ellie knew who he was the second she spotted him.

Steve nodded at a few campers who seemed to recognize him. He smiled as they pointed excitedly at their parents or tried to sneak photos on their cellphones. He even posed for a photo with a group of especially giggly girls before spotting his daughter in the crowd. The corners of Steve’s mouth stretched to a full honest smile. He’d missed her.

“Hey Chickadee.” Steve greeted his daughter. “See, that wasn’t so bad.”

“Maybe for you.” Ellie rolled her eyes, trying her best to channel Betsy. “But it seems like I haven’t seen you in forever.”

“I admit, I missed you too, Bets.” Steve moved to the back of vehicle and opened the hatch. So that his daughter could deposit her bags. “It wasn’t the same helping the team unpack without your sarcastic comments half-mumbled under your breath.”

“Is the compound big?” Ellie asked.

“Huge.” Steve nodded. “There’ll be plenty of room for you there, maybe even room for you to invite over some friends from camp in a few weeks?”

“Well, I did make friends with this one girl.” Ellie commented. “I think you’d like her a lot.”

“Yeah?” Steve didn’t believe what he was hearing. In just four weeks his daughter had gone from ‘I don’t like kids my age’ to ‘I can’t wait to tell you about my friend from camp’. Maybe Clint had been right after all. Sending Betsy to camp had obviously done her some good. He reached up and closed the hatch of the Cherokee. “You can tell me all about it on the drive home.”

“Say Dad?” Ellie bit her lip, a nervous habit she’d picked up from Betsy. “Can I have a hug?”

“Of course, Bets!” He pulled his daughter towards him and hugged her close. Ellie noticed that he smelled of Aftershave, leather and minty toothpaste. This man was her Dad, and she never wanted to let him go.


	4. Four

“OMG. _This_ is where we’re going to _live_?” Ellie, masquerading as Betsy asked when she spotted the Avenger’s compound at the end of the long driveway.

“I told you it was huge.” Steve laughed as he pulled the Jeep Cherokee into the parking lot. “Looks like someone else missed you.” As her father turned off the car, Ellie looked at the main door of the compound where Tony Stark was standing. He waved enthusiastically as they got out of the Jeep. “Go on, I’ll get your bags.” Steve pushed Ellie encouragingly towards the door.

“Well if it isn’t little Rogers!” Tony greeted the young girl who marched over to him. He held a fist out to her which Ellie bumped. She then proceeded to match him move for move in a complicated “secret” handshake he’d shared with Betsy when she was even younger. Or at least she hoped she got it right, it had taken Ellie almost the whole summer to learn the secret handshake from Betsy. “You’re getting slow in your old age.” Tony teased.

“Is that a grey hair, Uncle Tony?” Ellie teased with a wink. It sounded like something Betsy would say.

“ha-ha.” Tony faked a laugh. “How soon can we send her back to camp?” He teased back as Steve reached the front door.

“Sorry, Tony, she’s here to stay.” Steve shook his head. _I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Dad._ Ellie thought to herself. “Bets, you wanna go inside and pick your room so Tony and I can get your stuff out of storage?”

“Okay sure.” Ellie nodded. “Uncle Tony, do you wanna have a movie night later? Maybe after I do some unpacking?”

“Sure, little Rogers.” Tony agreed. “You’d better go pick a good room before the rest of the team moves in tomorrow.” He gave Ellie a pat on the back.

“Will do.” Ellie promised before following her dad inside.

“JARVIS,” Tony mumbled into his smart watch once the two Rogers were out of earshot. “Warm up the microscope, I need to run a DNA test.” He carefully inspected the strand of hair he’d removed form “Betsy” when he patted her on the back.

* * *

Betsy stared out the window the entire car ride from the airport. She’d never been to California before and wanted to remember as much of it as possible before the switch back. While riding in the car Bucky noticed Eleanor was quieter than usual. She didn’t even glance at her phone once. He guessed she was probably moody from having to go to with him to The Shop. He’d find a way to make it up to her somehow.

When they arrived at their destination, Betsy came to learn that the place her sister and Pop had continued to refer to as “The Shop” was actually a sizable motorcycle manufacturing plant. Betsy recognized the illuminated “Bucky’s Motorcycles” sign from the photo Ellie had shown her. She couldn’t wait to see what the inside looked like!

The Main Entrance of “The Shop” had clearly been designed to be customer facing. It had the same sterile white feeling that the Civilian accessible areas of the Avengers Tower had. There were chalky drop-down tiles on the ceiling. The walls were painted one of those slightly off-white shades like ivory or eggshell that helped hide the unavoidable dirt and dust that would build up over time. The floor tiles where white, which made them easy to clean with bleach.

The walls were decorated with framed professional photographs of various Motorcycle models made by Bucky’s company. Mixed in among them were Framed Magazine covers or articles that featured even more Motorcycle models. Some frames magazines also featured stories about Bucky himself. Betsy was reading one these articles about her father when he called out to her.

“Ellie? Are you listening to me?” He asked.

“Hmm?” Betsy looked away from the article that she’d been engrossed in reading. It was an interview where Bucky detailed how he’d gotten into creating custom motorcycles and how he eventually turned that into a business.

“I said you can just wait for me in my office. I’m just going out to the floor to see what Sam and Javier’s big emergency is.” Bucky explained.

“Actually, can I come with you?” Betsy asked. She tried to think quickly about what reason Ellie would have for wanting to leave the comforts of the clean customer facing offices to go out back to what was no doubt a greasy, noisy factory. “I’ve been gone all summer, I want to say hey to Sam and Javier and everyone else.”

“Sure.” Bucky didn’t seem to think that too out of the ordinary. “Plus, if they know you’re with me, that might help us get out of here quicker.”

Betsy followed Bucky down a hallway of offices. Thanks to Ellie, she recognized the names and titles of a lot of the people that the offices belonged to. She just hoped her sister’s descriptions of them would be enough to help recognize them in person. Javier was the company’s lead designer. Ellie had described him as being of average height, maybe around five foot six. He always wore his hair in a ponytail or a bun to keep it out of his face while he was working, and his fingers were always covered in paint, chalk or graphite residue.

Sam was Bucky’s best friend. According to Ellie, Sam Wilson was the only person Bucky still talked to from his life on the East Coast. He helped out with the company wherever needed. Sometimes that was on Javier’s design department. Sometimes it was with production, and sometimes it was just getting tools for Bucky while he tried to figure things out. He was reliable and indispensable.

Bill was the company’s Head of Inventory and Production. He worked closely with the production staff to make sure that orders were completed on time, but he also worked with designers to make sure what they wanted could logistically be mass produced without compromising the integrity of the design. It seemed to Betsy, that although Ellie had said she didn’t like going to The Shop, she’d learned quite a bit about how things were done and the type of work their father did.

“Kid, you remember Javier, Sam and Bill.” Bucky reintroduced them to his daughter. “El wanted to come in and say hi.”

“That’s right. Just got back from camp this morning.” Betsy nodded.

“We know,” Sam laughed. “Your Dad hasn’t stopped talking about you since ya left.”

“Are you guys trying to replicate a nineteen hundreds Harley?” Betsy asked excitedly as she spotted the mostly assembled motorcycle behind Sam and the others.

“Nineteen seventeen, actually.” Sam nodded. “The year your dad was born.” He looked over at Bucky who shrugged. Neither of them remembered Ellie knowing much about motorcycles. Socializing had always been her thing.

“I can picture it.” Betsy smiled. She walked over to the prototype and let her fingers dance along the shiny new handlebars. “Khaki Green with red trim. The banana seat is a nice upgrade.” She commented, looking up at Javier before turning her attention back to the motorcycle again. White tires and a big LED headlight.” She nodded. “Very Boss. But the gas tank’s not the right shape.” She look up at Javier again.

“You know what that gas tank on a nineteen seventeen Harley Davidson motorcycle looks like?” Bucky asked skeptically. Betsy bit her lip, realizing she may have let things go too far. Of course, Eleanor Barnes wouldn’t know what a nineteen seventeen Harley Davidson motorcycle gas tank looked like. She had to think of a convincing white lie quickly.

“I saw one on Instagram once.” She shrugged, which wasn’t exactly a lie. She, Betsy, had in fact seen one on Instagram several years ago while browsing the Vintage Motorcycles hashtag. "I was making a pre-war mood board." 

“The gas tank is exactly the problem.” Bill nodded. “In order to accommodate the modern engine that Javi wants to use, this gas tank is the only one we have that’s stock that will fit. But as Ellie so astutely pointed out the modern gas tank looks ridiculous with this antique design.

“How much more will it cost us to get a custom tank that will accommodate the engine and the aesthetic we’re going for?” Bucky asked.

“It’s not a matter of cost.” Sam shook his head. “It’s time. Changing the tank pushes the prototype two or three weeks back which could set the total production back months and that’s assuming we _can_ custom make something that works.”

“Well, I’d rather release something a little late that’s perfect instead of something we know has flaws.” Bucky sighed. “But it’s not a dictatorship here. My name might be on the side of the building, but all of your names are on this project. What do you want to do?”

As Betsy watched her father hash out a plan with his employees, she remembered what Ellie had said about why their Dads split up. Bucky had told Ellie that the Dads had ended things because they were too different. She could see his point. Back home Steve Rogers tended to deal in absolutes, either something was just and fair or it wasn’t. There were no grey areas, no room for debate. But Bucky Barnes welcomed debate. He was open to being challenged.

 _But being different doesn’t mean that you can’t love each other._ Betsy reminded herself. She knew that she and Ellie were two very different people, but they’d quickly learned to love each other, and the Dads could remember how much they had once loved each other too. Betsy remembered that Bucky kept a photo of Steve taped to his toolbox and wondered if she could find it.

She surveyed the space around them. They seemed to be in a private garage, far away from the actual manufacturing of the motorcycles. It must have been a garaged used exclusively for creating prototypes. The empty shells, various parts and half completed bodies around the room confirmed this theory. There were only about ten toolboxes in the garage. One of them had to be Bucky’s personal one.

Bucky’s favorite color was red. There was a red toolbox, larger than the others on across the room from her. Betsy watched her father carefully. He, Sam, Javier and Bill were still weighing out the pros and cons on the gas tank. None of them were paying her any attention. Betsy pulled out her phone and pretended to text as she walked around the room. It was a reasonable cover for her plan, and a very Ellie thing to do.

When she reached the red toolbox, she wasn’t surprised at all to see “Bucky’s Tools.” written across the front in a scratchy handwriting with a permanent marker. Just under the handwritten label there was a photo. The photo had once been black and white but was now a faded yellowish in spots. There was no question the man in the photo was Steve Rogers. He was posing leaning against a wall in a very James Dean way before the actor had made it cool.

Stealing a glance again, Betsy was surprised that she’d gone undetected for so long. She knew Steve could be sentimental at times, especially when it came to family stuff. She wondered if maybe he’d written something on the back of the photo. Or maybe even Bucky had. Some sort of inscription to give the girls a clue about how to get them back together. Betsy worked carefully, peeling back the tape, she’d need it to re-stick the photo back to the toolbox when she was done. Taking great car not to rip the photo, she successfully removed it from its position. She smiled when she saw the back.

 _With you till the end of the line._ It was only one sentence, but it was definitely written in Steve Roger’s loopy cursive. Betsy committed the phrase to memory before re-positioning the photo and sticking the tape back onto the toolbox.

“What are you doing over there, Kiddo?” Bucky asked. Betsy though maybe he’d seen her messing with the photo, but he didn’t make a move to come any closer. He just waved her over. “You ready to go home? We’re gonna let these guys go back to work.”

“Sure thing, Pop.” She nodded, making her way back through the field of parts and tools scattered on the floor. _With you till the end of the line._


	5. Five

* * *

* * *

“Gosh, wait till you see this place, Betsy!” Ellie whispered as she paced the dorm room she’d chosen at the compound. “There’s a swimming pool, and a ropes course and lake. It’s like living at camp! And the wifi is _incredibly fast.”_

“That’s Stark Industries tech for you.” Betsy laughed. “Uncle Tony always wants to be the best. I’m sorry you got stuck unpacking all my stuff. I wasn’t thinking about that when I suggested the switch.”

“Don’t worry about.” Ellie told her. She flopped down on the brand-new queen-sized mattress. It still had the plastic on it. “Dad finished bringing in the last of your stuff a little bit ago. I think I brought more to camp with me.” She joked. “So, I’ve decided that since you’ve put me in charge of unpacking that means that I also get to be in charge of decorating your room. Dad’s taking me shopping tomorrow.”

“Ugh, I totally didn’t think this plan through.” Betsy sighed.

“Don’t worry, you’ll love it, I promise. Besides you don’t even have sheets big enough to fit on this big bed. How’s things going with Pop?” Ellie changed the subject.

“Well, I almost blew our cover when we went to The Shop.” Betsy explained. She told Ellie what happened when Bucky had taken her to the warehouse. “I mean I just guessed that mood boards would be something you were into.”

“Quick thinking Betsy!” Ellie remarked. “Ugh, of course when we switch back now, he’s gonna expect me to know bike stuff. Did you get him to talk about Dad?”

“Not yet.” Betsy told her, “We only just go home, I haven’t’ had time, but I did see the picture of Dad taped to the toolbox. There was something written on the back of it.”

“What did it say?” Ellie asked, she sat up excitedly.

 _“With you to the end of the line.”_ Betsy repeated the phrase. “Do you think that’s like song lyric or something?”

“I don’t know.” Ellie said. “If I get a chance to ask Dad I will. Maybe Sam would know? Although that picture is really old. It might even be from before they knew each other.”

“I’m gonna ask Pop about Dad over dinner.” Betsy said. “Try to see if you can think of a way to do the same. I know it’s harder there with the other Avengers around.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Ellie promised. There was a knock on the dorm room door, “I gotta go Bets. Someone’s at the door.” The girls said their goodbyes and ended their call quickly. Ellie hopped off the bed and opened the door. Tony Stark was standing on the other side, smiling.

“Ready for movie night there, Little Rogers?” He asked, leaning on the doorframe. “I don’t want to interrupt your suddenly very full social calendar.”

“Yeah, Sorry. I was just talking to a friend I made a camp.” Ellie explained.

“So, you weren’t talking to your sister, Betsy?” Tony arched an eyebrow casually. 

“Uncle Tony, _I’m_ Betsy.” She laughed. “and I don’t have a sister. You know that.”

“No, what I know, is that you’re not Elizabeth Rogers.” Tony told her confidently. “I know because I Checked your DNA. You’re a _near_ match, with the DNA we have on file for Betsy.”

“Maybe you made a mistake?” Betsy shrugged.

“That’s cute.” Tony’s smirk disappeared. “I don’t make mistakes, not when it comes to science. So, your DNA was close enough to Betsy’s that you’d had to be a close relative. I know the Rogers family history and it was _not_ easy getting a copy of your DNA. But your dad’s a hoarder and he still had your blankets from the day you two came home from the hospital in storage. So I know that without a doubt you are Eleanor Roosevelt Barnes.”

“I guess this means you’re going to tell Steve about us so he can switch us back.” Ellie frowned. “I’m sorry that we lied.”

“Oh please I don’t care about that.” Tony laugh. “Kids lie to their parents all the time and I want to know how your little scheme works out. So I’m not going to report you to Captain Dad, but I want in on whatever it is that you’re planning.”

“Uh okay.” Ellie agreed, not seeing that she had much of a choice. She told Tony the truth about how she and Betsy met at camp and their plan to get the Dads back together.

“I see.” Tony nodded. “So your Dad hasn’t mentioned Sharon to you yet?”

“Sharon?” Ellie repeated. “Who’s Sharon?”

“Not my secret to tell.” Tony shook his head. “C’mon Little Barnes. I was promised a movie night with Betsy, but you’ll have to do. The popcorn machine is already warming up.”

“Okay, let me just text my _friend_ quick.” Ellie sent a text to Betsy before following Tony out of the room. _Tony knows. He had my DNA tested. Can you believe that?? He said he’s not going to tell Dad though. So I guess that’s something._


	6. Six

* * *

__

* * *

_Bets, we’ve got a problem. A BIG problem._ Betsy read the text from her sister that morning while she ate some sugary cereal she found in the cupboard.

“Hey Ellie, you’re supposed to eat the food no inhale it.” Bucky commented as he entered the kitchen. “Are you eating my Count Chocula?”

“Maybe.” Betsy answered with her mouth half-full. She hadn’t thought much about grabbing the cereal. The main rule at the Tower had always been if there was no name it was free reign. “Sorry, I should have asked…” She mumbled before shoving in even more cereal.

“No, ah, it’s alright. I just didn’t think you liked sugary cereal. You usually go for the Kix.” He explained. Betsy had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. Of course, Ellie like plain cereal like Kix. Bucky filled his coffee machine with water and began brewing a fresh pot. The front doorbell rang. “I wonder who that is?” He left the room to answer the door, so Betsy dialed her sister.

“Bets?” Ellie answered on the first ring.

“Who else would be calling you on your phone?” Betsy asked. “What’s the big problem?”

“Dad’s got a girlfriend.” Ellie explained quickly. “Her name’s Sharon. He’s just told me about her, he wants me to meet her.”

“A _girlfriend_?” Betsy repeated with a scandalous whisper. “ _My_ dad?”

“I think we should switch back, Bets. I’m in way over my head here.” Ellie confessed.

“Switch back? No!” Betsy disagreed. “I’m not ready to give up Pop yet! It’s just not fair!”

“Well what do you want me to do, Betsy?” Her sister questioned. I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up. Tony already knows and this place is _full_ of Avengers. They’re bound to found me out.”

“Just give me a few more days!” Betsy pleaded with her. Bucky returned to the kitchen with Sam, who must have been the source of the doorbell. “I gotta go, I’ll call you back later.” She ended the call not waiting for Ellie to protest.

“Who were you just talking to?” Bucky asked.

“Friend from camp.” Betsy shrugged. “You know Pop, I was thinking I’d really love to go with you to The Shop again today.”

“Yeah?” Bucky asked excitedly.

“Never thought I’d seen the day when Eleanor Barnes willingly went to a greasy motorcycle shop.” Sam shook his head.

“Well, I was gonna ride my bike to work today. I guess I could take the car though, I know how much you hate the bike…” Bucky started to say.

“I’ll drive her in my car.” Sam offered. “I’m going to the same place. I was just stopping in to drop off the new plans so you could look them over without everyone else’s watchful eyes.”

“Yes and I thank you for that.” Bucky said accepting the rolled-up schematics. “I can’t concentrate with Javi ranting about his artistic vision and Bill going on and on about production numbers. I’d love a half hour head start at looking these over.”

“Great, Ellie and I can head over to the shop now and if we get there before you, we can keep the other two at bay for a while, right?” Sam asked her.

“Sounds great Sam.” Betsy nodded. “Let me go get my stuff. Betsy was a little sad that she’d miss out on the opportunity to ride on the motorcycle with Bucky. At home Steve and the other Avengers let her do some dangerous activates, but she was never allowed to ride on his motorcycle with him. Here Ellie had the opportunity to ride one whenever she wanted and she actually chose not to. Betsy shook her head as she gathered some things, shoved them in one of Ellie’s large purses and joined Bucky and Sam in the kitchen again.

* * *

“Did my eyes deceive me or were you, Elizabeth Rogers, just willing having a social phone call?” Steve asked. He’s been watching his daughter pace a short length of the front law while talking to someone on the phone.

“Oh yeah.” Ellie rolled here eyes. “My friend from camp. She was saying we should get together and hang out sometime.” Ellie shrugged. “So where is she?”

“Sharon? She’s inside. Are you ready to meet her?” Steve wanted to know.

“Sure.” Ellie nodded and followed him inside. Agent Sharon Carter. That’s who Steve was dating. Sharon had soft brown eyes and a square jaw. She wore a simple outfit, just jeans and a plain blue T-shirt. She smiled as Ellie and Steve approached. Ellie couldn’t help but think she would have liked her if they met under different circumstances.

“Hi, I’m Sharon.” She introduced herself. “Your dad tells me you like to be called Betsy, is that true? I can call you something else if that would make you more comfortable.”

“Betsy is fine.” Ellie shrugged. “It’s nice to meet you Sharon.”

“That’s kind of you to say Betsy. I’m sure it’s not easy to meet your Dad’s girlfriend for the first time, but I hope you’ll give me a chance to show you how much he means to me.” Sharon. Ellie couldn’t think of anything to say so she simply nodded again. She was definitely in over her head.

* * *

“So, How long are you planing on pretending to be Ellie for?” Sam asked Betsy once we was alone in the car with her.

“I? Pff. Good one Sam!” Betsy tried to fake Ellie’s girly giggle. “I am Ellie.”

“No.” Sam shook his head. “I don’t think you are. I noticed yesterday there was something off about you. There’s no way Ellie would have know about that gas tank. You might have fooled Buck, but not me. So it got me thinking who would look like Ellie, but know about motorcycles? I thought Aliens or a clone maybe. Then I saw you looking at that picture of Steve on your dad’s toolbox. So, I’ll ask you again Elizabeth. How long are you planning on pretending to be Ellie and where is she?”

“She’s in New York with Steve.” Betsy sighed. “The dads happened to send us to the same summer camp this year. We were only supposed to switch places for a little bit to see what each other’s Dads were like. But I guess that’s over now.”

“We’re going to have to tell Bucky the truth.” Sam said. “ _but_ I think you deserve one more day with him. We’ll tell him at dinner, alright?”

“Really? You’re the best Sam!” Betsy smiled.

“You know, I knew your Dad, Steve, I mean.” Sam said as he continued driving. “We were friends for a while. I met Bucky through him. When they split up I followed him here because Steve and I thought it wasn’t a good idea for him to be alone.”

“Ellie told me a similar story.” Betsy remembered. “She said that the only things Bucky took with him to the West Coast were you and her.”

“Well, I guess that’s true.” Sam laughed. “We worked hard to build a new life out here, but you know Bucky still thought about you all the time. He and Steve sent each other pictures. Steve would talk about how well you’re doing on the track team and Bucky would write back that Ellie’s a little social butterfly. I know it doesn’t make up for not knowing you, but they tried.”

“Why did they break up?” Betsy asked as Sam’s car pulled into the parking lot for The Shop.

“I think you’ll have to ask them yourselves.” Sam commented.

* * *

“Betsy, what do you think of this?” Sharon held up a lamp for the young girl to inspect. It had a black fabric shade, but the impressive part was the base which was cast to look like a sleeping dragon. Ellie though the lamp was hideous, but it seemed like the sort of thing the real Betsy would love.

“Let’s add it to the cart!” Ellie agreed excitedly. She’d been out shopping with Sharon and Steve for a few hours now and she was glad to have Steve’s girlfriend along, even if she was hurting their chances to get the Dads back together. While Sharon had immediately picked on the vibe that Ellie was going for in Betsy’s new room, Steve had relentlessly suggested décor that was more Ellie’s taste than her sisters. Ellie hoped that if the girls did manage to get the Dads back together, they didn't end up hurting Sharon in the process. 

“Are you sure Bets?” Steve frowned as Sharon added the lamp to their cart. “Wouldn’t you rather have something like this?” Steve held up a brass lamp cast to look like sunflowers pointed towards the light.

“Steve, it’s _her_ room.” Sharon pointed out. “Let her decorate it how she wants.” Sharon then put an arm around Ellie’s shoulders. “Let’s have your Dad push the cart while you and I look at sheets. I see some blood red pillows over there that will match the dungeon lair vibe we’re going for.”

"Ooooh you read my mind!" Ellie followed Sharon with Steve trailing a few feet behind. Steve smiled. He was pleased that his gals were getting along. He enjoyed his afternoon, blissfully unaware of the events unfolding around him.


	7. Seven

* * *

* * *

“I can’t believe our luck.” Bill smiled when Sam and Betsy walked into the private garage that morning. “Miss Ellie visiting up twice in one week!”

“I really missed you all while I was a camp.” Betsy explained. “It’s like, meeting you all for the first time.” Sam laughed at their inside joke.

“Say Ellie, how would you like some drafting paper, you could practice your own motorcycle designs.” Sam suggested.

“You think that’d be okay?” Betsy asked him, unable to contain her excitement.

“I think your Dad will appreciate it.” Sam nodded. “I’ll set you up in my office, it’ll be just like when you were little.”

Sam sat a stack of paper on his desk. He presented Betsy a box of colored pencils and a second box of markers. He explained that when Ellie was little she used to love sitting in his office coloring and doodling for hours at a time.

“Crayola was the best babysitter your Dad could have asked for.” Sam remembered. “We’d come in and check on her every once and awhile, and she’d still be there shading in the petals of a flower with her tongue between her teeth as she concentrated. Then she convinced your Dad to get her an iPad and she hardly looks up from the thing.”

“She still draws.” Betsy told him. She reached into her purse and pulled out Ellie’s iPad. She opened the drawing app and showed Sam some of the sketches her sister had done. “I found some old sketchbooks of my Dad’s once, He used to draw during the war. He’s going to love Ellie when he meets her for real, she’s everything he ever wanted in a daughter. But it seems like Bucky and El were happy together here.”

“Betsy, you know your dad is going to love you when he meets you for real too. Yeah he and Ellie are close, but I’m sure you know things about Steve that Ellie doesn’t. You’re still young, there’s plenty of time for you two to get to know each other.” Sam said.

“Time together! You just have me a great idea Sam!” Betsy grabbed a pencil and started sketching.

* * *

“Well, I think that’s the last of it!” Sharon huffed as she placed the final load of shopping bags on Betsy’s bedroom floor. “Thanks for sharing your dad with me today, Betsy. I know you just got back from camp and I’m sure you were looking forward to having him all to yourself.”

“Actually, it was nice to have some help.” Ellie smiled. “Dad has _no clue_ what teenage girls like.” She rolled her eyes.

“Well, if you need help putting some of this stuff up, I’m supposed to swing by again tomorrow. Your dad said he has some stuff he wants to talk to me about. So I can help you out when I ‘m done.”

“Sounds great, Sharon.” Ellie smiled. “Thanks again for all your help!” Sharon left, probably to say goodbye to Steve.

Left alone for the first time since that morning, Ellie set to work redecorating Betsy’s room. First she peeled away all the plastic on the mattress and put on the new sheets that she and Sharon had picked out earlier. She found the large, fluffy black duvet and covered the bed with it. She was craftily rearranging the mountain of pillows on the bed, when Steve knocked on the door.

“Come in!” Ellie invited him inside. She sat cross-legged on the bed.

“So, what do you think?” Steve asked.

“I forgot how exhausting shopping can be.” Ellie giggled.

“I meant about Sharon.” Steve smirked. “But the two of you did do some serious shipping today.”

“Sharon seems great, Dad.” Ellie said. She’d meant it too.

“Yeah?” Steve tilted his head to the side. He reminded Ellie of a golden retriever. “That’s great!” He smiled, seeming to remember something suddenly. “Because I was thinking it might be nice to have Sharon around more often.”

“She said she’ll be back tomorrow.” Ellie shrugged. “How much more can you see a person?”

* * *

“It’s like you’re six years old again.” Bucky smiled from the door of Sam’s office. Betsy looked up from her sketch. “I’ve been working on some design ideas.”

“Oh yeah? Thinking of taking over your old man’s business some day?” He asked, walking closer to Sam’s desk.

“Not exactly.” Betsy shook her head as she gathered her papers together. “Sam and I were talking on the ride over and it got me thinking about how I wish we could spend more time together. I was also thinking about how El…I mean _I_ don’t like riding on the back of the motorcycle. So I was thinking maybe a sidecar?” She presented the sketches to Bucky.

“A sidecar, huh?” Bucky took the drawings from her and looked them over. They were a little cruder than the flowers and fashion designs he was used to seeing from his daughter, but he was pretty sure this was the first time Ellie had tried to draw a motorcycle.

“Yeah I mean there has to be other parents out there who don’t want their kids riding on the backs of motorcycles. Or maybe just people who are afraid to ride them. I know Sidecars aren’t really a common thing anymore but…” As Betsy explained herself, she noticed Ellie’s phone vibrating.

“Aren’t you going to answer that?” Bucky asked, looking up from the drawings.

“I-um…” Betsy glanced at the caller ID that flashed on the screen. It was her own name blinking back. _Betsy Rogers._ Ellie couldn’t have picked a worst time to call. If Betsy ignored the call it might make Bucky suspicious, but if she _did_ answer he might hear Ellie on the other end. A beat passed. Bucky and Betsy both stared at the phone. When she knew too much time had passed, she reached for the phone, making her decision.

“Hello?” She greeted her sister.

“ _Finally!_ ” Ellie huffed on the other end. “Bets we’ve got a big problem!”

“You already said that!” Betsy couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Listen, now’s not a great time can I call you back…”

“No!” Ellie practically shouted. “I’m sorry, Betsy but you can’t call me back. You have to come home.”

Betsy could sense the urgency in here sisters voice. She was suddenly very aware that while she’d been play acting as her twin sister the last few days, her dad, her _real_ dad was still on the other side of the country. Leaving him behind to get to know Bucky didn’t change the fact that her dad was Captain America. He put himself in danger on a daily basis. Had something happened to him while she’d been away?

“Did someone get hurt?” Betsy demanded impatiently. “Is it Dad? Is he okay?”

“He’s fine, he’s fine.” Ellie assured her. “But he’s getting married.”

“Married?” Betsy repeated incredulously. “To who? That Sharon woman? He’s seriously going to marry _her_ when I _, you,_ have only known her for what, like day? Absolutely not! Put him on the phone!”

“I can’t.” Ellie sighed. “He’s taken her out to dinner.”

“Well then put Uncle Tony on the phone!” Betsy huffed.

“There’s nothing he can do, Bets.” Ellie explained. “You have to tell Pop and you have to come home.”

“Alright fine.” Betsy agreed begrudgingly. “I’ll tell him,and I’ll text you later, once we’ve sorted everything out. Love you El.”

“Love you too, Bets. See you soon.” The phone called ended. Betsy looked up at Bucky, who’d been listening to her end of the conversation with interested ever since he’d heard her say the word “Dad.”

“What is it you have to tell me, El?” He asked.

“I’m not exactly who you think I am.” Betsy sighed.


	8. Eight

* * *

“So you’re not Ellie, you’re Elizabeth?” Bucky asked the daughter he was truly seeing for the first time.

“Congrats, it’s a girl.” Betsy shrugged.

“Would it be alright if I hugged you?” Bucky asked, opening up his arms. Betsy nodded. She gripped her dad tightly and for the first time she got to hug him as herself.

“I’m sorry it’s taken us so long to meet, Kiddo.” He apologized, squeezing her tight. “Not a day went by that I didn’t think about you, Elizabeth.”

“Betsy.” She mumbled into his chest. “Everyone’s always called me Betsy.”

“Like Betsy Ross.” Bucky laughed. “Yeah, that was your Dad’s idea. If it had been left up to me you probably would have been named something like Axel or Rebel, but Steve wanted you two to have historical names. I can’t believe after all this time I’m finally holding you in my arms.” He gave her another loving squeeze. “Last time I held you like this you were just a baby. You fit in the palm of my hand. I’m not ready to send you back.”

“I have to go back.” Betsy frowned, taking a step back. “You heard my call with Ellie, Dad wants to marry some woman he just met. He’s losing his mind.”

“I’m sure he’s not losing his mind. Steve’s always been very…sensible. He’s going to have a cow when he finds out what you girls did.” Bucky shook his head. “I’m sure he’ll find a way to blame me for it somehow.” He rolled his eyes with exasperation.

“I wouldn’t be too sure. I have a bit of a reputation as a schemer with the other Avengers. Uncle Tony and I are usually the first to get blamed when something goes wrong.” Betsy admitted.

“Uncle Tony as in Tony Stark?” Bucky guessed. “I’m sure he deserves most of the blame that he gets. I guess we should go tell Sam and the others that I need to leave for California.”

“You’re coming with me?” Betsy asked him excitedly.

“Well, yeah. I’m not sending you back to face him alone. I know how Steve can be when he’s upset. Plus, it will give us a little more time together.” He explained.

“You know, there’s one thing I’ve always wanted to do that Dad never let me. Do you think before you send me back you could take me on a ride on your motorcycle? Please?” Betsy begged.

“How could I say no to the only thing you’ve ever asked from me?” He smiled. “Let’s go see if we have helmets in your size.”

* * *

Ellie was anxiously pacing the outside of Tony Stark’s lab. If there ever was a time to bring in the big guns now was it. She and Betsy were swimming against the current now that Steve was planning on marring Sharon. Should they even go through with their plan to get the Dads back together? How could they do that without hurting Sharon? How did they know for sure that Steve would be happier with Bucky than with Sharon? They needed help. Adult help.

“Uncle Tony?” She shouted loudly as she entered the lab. Loudly because Tony was playing his heavy metal music on blast.

“Hmm?” Tony turned to see who could be looking to bother him at this time of night. He smirked when he realized it was Ellie. He turned the music down and greeted her. “How’s operation Double Dad going there _Betsy?_ ” He asked putting air quotes around her sister’s name.

“Not great.” Ellie huffed. She leaned back against a nearby work surface and crossed her arms over her chest. “I didn’t know things with Steve and Sharon were so serious. He’s ready to marry her! I told Betsy she had to come home. I’m giving up.”

“Giving up?” Tony shook his head. “That’s too bad. “I didn’t take you for a quitter Ellie Barnes.”

“I’m not a quitter!” She snapped back. “I just don’t think it would be fair for us to hurt someone else just so that we could get what we wanted.”

“Well, what if there was a way for you to get what you wanted without Sharon getting hurt?” Tony questioned.

“What did you have in mind?” Ellie asked.

* * *

“Okay, you’re going to have to hold on tight, alright?” Bucky called over the loud purr of his motorcycle.

“I’ve got it, Pop.” Betsy promised. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her father’s waist. The bike lurched forward taking her by surprise, but Betsy didn’t let go. She only held onto Bucky tighter.

As the cool wind swirled around her Betsy, closed her eyes and imagining she was driving the motorcycle. She pictured a warm California afternoon with an open road lined only with palm trees. Fresh air, wind in her hair and a _fast_ bike. It was everything she’d dreamed her first ride would be.

“Okay, that was awesome!” Betsy exclaimed once Bucky stopped the motorcycle outside of his house. “Thanks so much for letting me do that! It was one of the coolest moments of my life.” She tossed her armed around Bucky’s neck and kissed him on the cheek.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Bucky smiled. He loved seeing how happy he’d made his daughter. “I’m only sorry that we won’t be able to do it more often.”

“Well, maybe you and Dad could come to some kind of arrangement like Ellie and I could do Thanksgiving in New York and Christmas here?” Betsy suggested.

“We can talk it over with him, but maybe let’s not mention the motorcycle thing right off the bat?” He suggested. Bucky put one arm around his daughter’s shoulders. “Let’s head inside and Pack, we’re going to New York.”

* * *

“Shouldn’t we at least tell Dad that Betsy and Pop are coming?” Ellie asked Tony the next morning. The two of them were at the JFK Airport waiting for Betsy and Bucky’s plane to arrive. They’d made arrangements the night before to meet at the airport so that Tony could drive everyone to the Compound.

“You want your Dads to get together right?” Tony asked. “You don’t know Steve like I do. If he finds out Bucky is coming here, he’ll get big speech prepared and you’ll be on a plane home before you can say Star Spangled Man. _This way_ we catch him off guard. He’ll want to know how something like this could happen and why was _he_ the last to know. This way is better. Trust me.”

“I hope your right.” Ellie sighed. She looked up at the flight board, triple checking that the flight from California was on time.

* * *

“Remind me again why I’m here?” Sam complained as he trailed behind Bucky and Betsy. The trio was navigating their way from their airport terminal to the baggage claim area of JFK airport.

“You know how I get when I’m around him.” Bucky replied. “I need you here to make sure I don’t do or say something stupid. I just want to switch the girls back and be on our way. So It’s your job to keep me on task Can you do that?”

“There they are!” Betsy exclaimed when she spotted Tony and Ellie standing just off to the side of a baggage carousel. She ran over to her sister we hugged her tight.

“It’s been a long week without you.” Ellie whispered holding her close. 

“Please tell me you’re the real Betsy, because I don’t think I can handle a secret triplet.” Tony smirked.

“I’ve missed you too, Uncle Tony!” Betsy promised hugging him next. “I heard you have a plan?”

“We’ll talk about it later.” He whispered back as Sam and Bucky approached them. “Well if it isn’t Robocop and the Wingman.” Tony greeted them. Sam rolled his eye, but Bucky laughed. He’d forgotten how much of a joker Tony Stark could be.

“Good to see you again, Stark.” Bucky nodded. “And good to see you again, Eleanor.” He looked at his daughter, who took a half step behind Betsy.

“Hi Dad.” She responded quietly.

“No more stunts like this okay, El?” Bucky begged her. “Your old man can’t take it.” He clutched at his heart dramatically.

“Sorry, Dad.” Ellie apologized before stepping forward to finally hug her father. “But it was for a _really_ good reason.”

“Where’s Steve?” Bucky asked finally. He’d expected Captain America to make himself known by now. He looked around the airport like he thought his ex would jump out from behind a stack of suitcases and shout ‘Gotcha’ at any second.

“Well,” Ellie, the real Ellie, bit her lip. “We didn’t exactly tell him about the switch yet.”

“He doesn’t know I’m coming yet?” Bucky looked at Betsy. “You didn’t tell your dad that you were coming home?”

“You know how Dad is,” Betsy tried to explain. “He wouldn’t want to find something like this out from a text or a phone call. And then he’d worry the whole time about whether we’d get here safely it. It was better for everyone to surprise him.”

“Alight, Sharon and Steve will have noticed us missing by now, so let’s get to the car.” Tony announced looking at his watch. “Barnes you can ride shotgun, I want to hear all about that motorcycle company of yours.”


	9. Nine

* * *

* * *

Tony drove everyone back to the Compound in his car. As promised, he pressed Bucky for questions about his business the entire time. This left Sam, Ellie and Betsy free to discuss whatever they wanted in the back seat. When she was sure that Bucky was properly distracted, Ellie began to fill Sam and Betsy in on the plan. After an hour or so of riding in the car, they eventually arrived at their destination. They group filed out of the car and Tony snuck everyone into a side entrance.

“The dorms are this way.” Ellie said. She’d adapted to life at the compound quickly, getting the lay of the land after only a few days.

“I’m going to see if I can find Captain Dad.” Tony announced. He gave Ellie the key to the spare room next to Betsy’s before going the opposite way down the corridor.

“Uncle Tony said you can stay in this room for now.” Ellie told Sam and Bucky. She handed off the key to them. “And this, is your room.” Ellie twisted the handle on the room and let the door swing open lazily.

Betsy gasped when she looked inside. The walls were painted a deep maroon and the wooden floorboards were coated with a charcoal grey. Velvet red curtains were hung by the windows and the blood red and black bedspread that Sharon had helped pick out was covering the mattress. She nearly cried tears of joy when she spotted the dragon lamp sitting on a desk on the corner.

“I _love_ this lamp.” She exclaimed. “Oh Ellie it’s perfect!”

“Oh there you are, Bets I’ve been looking for…” Ellie and Betsy’s attention was pulled to the doorway when they heard the voice of a certain Captain. Steve had taken a half step into the room before he realizes Betsy wasn’t alone.

“You.” He finished his sentence with a gulp.

“Hi Dad!” both girls said in unison. Steve looked at Ellie, who was wearing Betsy’s denim jacket and favorite hiking boots with a purple t-shirt and shorts. He then looked at Betsy who was wearing pink floral printed overall shorts, a white tshirt and a pair of flip flops.

“Am I seeing double?” He asked, pressing a hand to his forehead.

“I haven’t exactly been myself lately.” Ellie confessed, biting her lip.

“That’s because she’s been me, and I’ve been her.” Betsy agreed. The two girls finally confessed to Steve what had happened since they were sent away to camp earlier in the summer. “And then Ellie called to tell me that you’re getting married, so I knew I had to come home.”

“So you’re the _real_ Betsy?” He asked, pointing at her. “And _you’re_ Ellie?”

“Guilty.” Ellie nodded.

“Oh Ellie. You’ve been right here under my nose this whole time and I didn’t even know!” Steve said. “Look at you, so grown up! Your dad must be so proud of you. Speaking of which.” He folded his arms over his chest and looked at Betsy. “If Bucky thinks you’re Ellie, where does he think she is right now?”

“ _Right_ …” Now Betsy was biting her lip. “About that…” But there was no need to explain because Sam and Bucky had just stepped into the hall on their way to check on the girls.

“Steve!” Sam was the first of the two to notice. Steve glanced over his shoulder and smiled when he saw his old friend.

“Sam! It’s been too long!” The Captain insisted. He stepped away from the girls and offered Sam a firm handshake. At last it was time for him to mention the elephant in the room, Bucky. “Buck.” He nodded solemnly.

“Rogers.” Bucky nodded back, not moving closer.

“Did you know about this?” Steve asked. He pointed over his shoulder to their twin daughters.

“Not until yesterday afternoon.” Bucky promised. “You?”

“Not until ten seconds ago.” Steve replied. “I guess we have some things to talk about.”

“I guess so.” Bucky agreed.

“Let’s go to my office.” Steve invited. “Ellie, would you like to show Sam and Betsy around while your father and I talk?”

“Sure, Dad.” Ellie agreed. 

“Business doing well?” Steve asked Bucky. The two exes were walking together down the hall, away from the sounds of their daughters’ laughter.

“Yeah.” Bucky told him proudly. “Great actually. How about you? Seems you haven’t done too bad for yourself. _Captain America._ ”

“I’m helping people, which is what I always wanted to do.” Steve nodded. “Office is this way.” He pointed to the left and they turned down a new hallway. 

“This is some place Stark built.” Bucky commented as they continue to awkwardly able down the hall.

“Much bigger than the last one, but we have a little room to grow here.” Steve explained.

“Since when do you care about having room to grow?” Bucky raised his eyebrows at Steve.

“This again?” Steve sighed. “Buck it’s been thirteen years.”

* * *

_Both girls are crying, practically screaming their heads off. Bucky holds one baby in his arms. He’s pretty sure it’s Elizbeth but it’s hard to tell them apart this late at night. He’s pacing anxiously around the room. Sam is sat in the rocking chair in the corner bouncing the other baby in his lap._

_“Just think, Barnes, eighteen more years of this.” Sam shouted over the babies crying._

_“Thanks,” Bucky faked a laugh. “You know if I wanted witty commentary, I would have asked Stark over.”_

_“I can leave.” Sam offered. He scooped baby Eleanor up into his arms and stood up from the rocking chair._

_“You wouldn’t dare.” Bucky scowled. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and get some bottles from the fridge._

_“Alright, alright.” Sam placed Ellie back in her crib so he could go prep two bottles. “When is Steve supposed to be home anyway?”_

_“I don’t know.” Bucky sighed. “I think he said tomorrow,_ today _technically.”_

_Sam seemed to disappear into the kitchen forever while Bucky did his best to placate two hysterical infants. Their cries only subsided when they were finally each given a warm bottle of milk. By this point, Bucky was so exhausted he could have fallen asleep standing up. When the girls finished their bottles and finally settled down, Sam and Bucky put them back in their respective cribs and snuck out of the nursey._

_“Thanks for the assist Wilson.” Bucky breathed once the ordeal was over. He clapped his friend on the back. Sam shook his head and smiled._

_“Anytime man.” He promised. “Y’all are family. I mean it. You ever need anything, Uncle Sam is here.”_

_Sam and Bucky heard the lock on the front door rattle. They both looked over just in time to see Steve step through with a bag slung over one shoulder._

_“Looks like the second shift is here.” Sam teased. He gave Steve a brief greeting before leaving the apartment._

_“I’m home early.” Steve smiled. He tossed his bag on the floor and crossed the tiny kitchen to give Bucky a kiss. “How are the girls?” he asked._

_“Wilson and I just barely got them down.” Bucky yawned. “I’m so tired I could sleep for a week.” He shuffled his way into their bedroom and practically dropped into the bed. “We need a new mattress.” He complained as Steve entered the room._

_“That mattress is great.” Steve disagreed, kicking off his shoes._

_“This mattress is like sleeping on a rock.“ Bucky disagreed. “And while we’re on the subject the bedframe squeaks like a mouse. I’m afraid if I move in it too much it’ll wake the girls. From the other side of our paper-thin walls.”_

_“Well then maybe we should move.” Steve joked as he took off his pants._

_“You know,” Bucky sat up suddenly. “I’ve been thinking…”_

_“Oh no, not this again.” Steve shook his head. “We’re not moving.” He added, pulling off his shirt and crawling into bed._

_“You really want our girls growing up in this neighborhood?” Bucky frowned._

_“Why not?” Steve asked. He reached out for a lock of Bucky’s hair and began twirling it around his finger. “We grew up in the neighborhood.”_

_“Yeah seventy years ago, Rogers.” Bucky sighed. “I don’t know. I guess I always thought that when we had kids we’d move out of the city. Find a quiet place to raise them. A nice big house with a lawn, maybe a tree house. That sort of thing.”_

_“You want to move out of the city?” Steve dropped the piece of Bucky’s hair he’d been playing with. He was taken aback. “I always assumed we’d raise them right here in Brooklyn. Show them all our favorite places.”_

_“None of our favorite places exist anymore, Steve.” Bucky told him seriously. “Wouldn’t your rather make new memories together than cling on to the good old days?”_

_“I don’t think I’m clinging to the good old days.” Steve disagreed. “I’m just trying my best to build a life here.”_

_“But I don’t want to build a life here.” Bucky repeated. “I want better for our kids than what we had.”_

_“Better than what we had or better than what I can give?” Steve asked._

_“That’s not what I said, and you know it!” Bucky said defensively. “We have two beautiful girls together Steve. We have to make sure that we’re giving them the best that we can. And I just don’t think that a tiny flat in Brooklyn is the best we can do.”_

_“Well, maybe it’s the best I can do!” Steve snapped. “You know, I’m not great with embracing change, Bucky and I-I don’t want to uproot my whole life to a farm or something upstate because that’s what would make_ you _more comfortable.”_

_“Look it’s late.” Bucky sighed, getting out of bed. “We’re both tired and we’ve both said some things that we don’t mean. I’m gonna sleep on the couch and we’ll talk in the morning.”_

_Bucky took his pillows off the bed and grabbed a spare blanket out of the closet before exiling himself to the couch. Neither he nor Steve got much sleep that night and in the morning, they pretended as if nothing had happened. They offered each other half-hearted apologies and tried to move on. But it was too late. The crack had been made in the foundation. They never really recovered from that night._


	10. Ten

* * *

* * *

“I think we can both agree that we want what is best for the girls.” Steve commented as he and Bucky entered his office.

“Of course.” Bucky nodded. “Maybe we keep the current arrangement, but we get them together for the holidays. You could send Betsy to us for Thanksgiving and I send Ellie to you for Christmas and we split the summer half and half?”

“That doesn’t give them much time to get to know each other, or us.” Steve frowned. “Maybe we could split the year. You keep Bets and Ellie January to June and then I’ll take them July to December.”

“So that you can have them for Thanksgiving _and_ Christmas?” Bucky scoffed. “Give me a break, Rogers.”

“Well I’m trying Buck but you have to work with me.” Steve folded his arms over his chest. “Maybe an annual rotation? A full year in New York and then a full year in California. It would make schooling them harder, but we could home school them.”

“Home school?” Bucky began pacing the length of the room. “Is that something you’re prepared to take on? Because I don’t know how you’re going to tutor the girls in Algebra when you’re on a radio silent month-long mission to Belgium.”

“Would you have time to teach them while you’re working every single day?” Steve countered.

“I own my own business. That means I set my schedule. I answer to no one but me.” Bucky said, turning to face his ex-husband. “I made my family the priority. While you’re still dressed in a costume waiting for someone to give you your next order.”

“Oh please!” Steve rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me that you put our family first when you’re the one who ran away to other side of the country with half of it.”

“I didn’t say _our_ family, I said _my_ family.” Bucky hissed. “You made that distinction clear when you filed for divorce. I might have been the one who put distance between us, but you’re the one who made it official.”

“ _Official?”_ Steve spat. “It felt pretty official when you had Sam come over and pack your things in the dead of night. You weren’t going to leave with Eleanor or Elizabeth that night.”

“You’re right!” Bucky agreed. He pointed a vibranium finger at Steve. “Then again of course you’re right!” He tossed his hands up in the air and walked away. “You’re the great Captain American who’s never wrong. I wasn’t going to take Ellie or Betsy that night. Except what I never told you was that if you hadn’t walked in on me and Sam packing, I was going to take _both_ girls with me.”

“You would have taken the girls from me?” Steve was caught off guard. Even on the days when he’d thought the worst of his ex, he never imagined a scenario where both his daughters were taken from him.

“Don’t look so wounded.” Bucky sighed. “I was home all day with two babies. You were always gone either on missions or giving reports about missions or preparing for your next mission. I was exhausted and I didn’t see a way forward other than out.”

Just then the office door opened up. A beautiful blonde woman stepped inside. Her soft brown eyes and determined smile reminded Bucky so much of the former Peggy Carter who’d once captured Steve’s heart. He knew this had to be the Captains new fiancé.

“Oh, sorry.” Sharon apologized, immediately. “Tony said I could find you in here I just assumed you’d be preparing for that mission next week.”

“Hmm.” Bucky made a noise indicating to Steve that Sharon had just proved his point. “Sorry, something in my throat.” He told her.

“Sharon this is Bucky Barnes my…” He let his sentence trail off. 

“Your childhood best friend.” Sharon filled in the blank diplomatically. She offered Bucky her hand and he shook it loosely. “It’s an honor to meet you Sergeant”

“Uh, Bucky is also my ex-husband.” Steve confessed before clearing his throat. “Did I even mention that Elizabeth is a twin?”

“I don’t even remember you mentioning that you were married before.” Sharon blinked but her smile remained the same. “Is that what brings you into town Bucky?”

“When Steve and I broke up it was decided that Elizabeth would stay here with him and Eleanor, her twin sister, would come to California with me.” Bucky went on to explain how the girls met for the first time at summer camp and decided to switch places. “So now, we’re just trying to figure out how we can all get back to normal while doing the least damage to the girls.”

“I’m so sorry I interrupted.” Sharon apologized. “I just want to say that I’ve spent some time with Betsy, well, Eleanor. She’s so sweet. The two of you are great dads for working so hard to do what’s right by your girls. If it’s alright with you both I’d love to track them down and get to know the real Betsy.”

“They should be easy enough to find.” Bucky recognized. “They’re identical.”

“Right!” Sharon laughed. “Oh, Steve you should make sure whatever you decide that both girls can make it to the wedding. Okay, I’m getting out of your hair.” She apologized before backing out of the office and shutting the door.


End file.
